Guild Wars 2

I’m thinking about upgrading a component for my computer, and I’m wondering what would be the best cheap upgrade I could make(especially in relation to GW2, of course). While I’m obviously not running on max graphics, my main annoyance with GW2 performance-wise is that explosive effects lag my computer. It’s most notable on my Engi(who I otherwise love); effects like Big Ol’ Bomb kills my performance, as do multiple flamethrower abilities and grenades and turret heal(when the water field is blasted). Even with other classes with heavy skill animations like Elementalist, the lag is almost non-existent; it’s just explosive effects that kill my performance. With that in mind(and the specs below), what would be my best bet to upgrade? What should I upgrade it to?

Thank you very much!

Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz (4 CPUs), ~3.3GHz

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560

RAM: 8GB

(I’m running on Windows 7, btw)

depends on what you consider cheap? your CPU and RAM are fine. I would upgrade to a GTX 9xx

ICfatcat.4056:

depends on what you consider cheap? your CPU and RAM are fine. I would upgrade to a GTX 9xx

I’m not sure anyone should consider the current GTX 900 series prices as “cheap” (bargin basement versions start at $200)…..yet.

Yup, definitely your GPU would be the best option to upgrade.
I’m not sure what is your price range and where you live, but things that you should look for in the new GPU is at least a bit rate of 256 bits, memory size above 2GBs is recommended if you plan to play in 4k, in 1080 2GBs is fine, anything bellow that isn’t worth to buy.

Brother Grimm.5176:

ICfatcat.4056:

depends on what you consider cheap? your CPU and RAM are fine. I would upgrade to a GTX 9xx

I’m not sure anyone should consider the current GTX 900 series prices as “cheap” (bargin basement versions start at $200)…..yet.

Yeah,$200 range is about twice my price range. Any suggestions for a price range of around 100-125$? Like I said,my main concern is GW2 and the performance hit from explosive ability graphics/flame effects, so I don’t think I’m looking for a gigantic upgrade.

Be glad that you are not here in Brazil, the cheapest GTX 960 cost ~$300 and a GTX 980 ~ $1000

Search in the site you usually buy for GPUs in that price range and look for the ones that are 256 bits and at least 2GB

You can get used 7950s for $100. If you’re after new stuff, I think you’re looking at a 750ti/260x/270 for $100.

I have a XFX R9 260x and for its price it is really good, I do recommend it, with your CPU and memory you’ll notice a difference for sure.

I can’t think of anything that would make a noticeable difference in your performance for that price. There really isn’t anything that much faster than your GTX 560 in the $100-125 price range, even the R7 260x or the R9 270 (if you can find a good deal). And anyways the game isn’t all that demanding on a GPU.

Thank you for the responses, I really appreciate them. After a bit of research, I’m thinking a refurbished 7950 would be the best bang for my buck.

I’m only hesitant on pulling the trigger because I’m unsure how much it’ll help, especially WRT the slowdown from explosive/fiery effects. Does anyone have any thoughts as to whether this upgrade will help much?

I’m not too into hardware anymore, but what can I say right here and now is that you usually get what you pay for. If you buy something cheap, don’t expect high quality. Most of the time, I strongly suggest putting a bit of money in whatever you are looking for. and don’t waste your money on cheap stuff. The reason is simply that it might seem cheap now, but it will be outdated quickly, and then you’re stuck with yet another upgrade. If you rather spend a bit of money on a more expensive upgrade (and preferably several components at once), it will cost you more right now, but it will pay off in the long run.

Take cars, for instance. I don’t know how old you are, but when I need a new car, I always go for a used car that’s less than 10 years old. If I buy one brand new from a store, it’ll drop a lot in price the second I leave th store. It’s already ‘used’, so if I sell it to someone else, there’s no way they’ll buy it for full price. That also means if I want to buy a new car, it’ll be a lot cheaper than a brand new one, even if it’s only a couple of years old, yet it’s still new enough to have the ‘new car smell’.

However, if I do the stupid thing and buy a cheap car that’s 10+ years old, it will be cheap right away, but it’ll need constant repairs and maintenance, and that quickly adds up. In other words, it’s better to spend a bit of extra now, than a whole lot of extra over time. :-)

And sure, the upgrade might be for just this time… right now. But what about in six months? In a year? Two years? How quickly do you want to upgrade again? And at what cost?